Ephesians 6:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Do not grieve, as though he says, that your lot is lower than the position of wife and children. This slavery is only in name, and the mastery is according to the flesh.

Therefore it is temporary and short-lived, because everything fleshly quickly passes away. “With fear,” he says, “and trembling.”

Do you see that he requires from wives and slaves a different fear? There he simply said, “Let the wife fear her husband” (Eph 5:33). Here, strengthening the expression, he says, “with fear and trembling, in simplicity of your heart, as to Christ.”

He repeats this often. But what are you saying, blessed Paul? The slave is his master’s brother. He has received the same blessings, the same body.

Most importantly, he has become brother not only of his master, but of the very Son of God. He enjoys equal blessings with him, and you say, “obey your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling”?

But for this very reason I say it, the Apostle answers. If I command the free to submit to one another for the fear of God, as was said above, “submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:21), then much more the servant.

If I command the wife to fear her husband, although she has equal honor with him, then much more the servant. There is no dishonor in this.

On the contrary, it is high nobility to know how to humble oneself, conduct oneself modestly, and yield to one’s neighbor. Free men have served free men with great fear and trembling.

“In simplicity of heart,” he says. This is well said, because one may serve with fear and trembling, yet not with good disposition, but somehow carelessly.

The wife is equal to the husband and free, but servants are not equal. Although they are brothers in Christ, he commands even the free to submit to one another, and even the wife to the husband.

All the more, then, must servants submit to masters. This is not something degrading. On the contrary, it is the highest nobility to know how to humble oneself and yield to one’s neighbor.

Since many servants fear their masters not from good disposition, but secretly act treacherously and plot against them, he adds, “in simplicity of heart,” removing treachery.

“Servants,” he says, “obey your masters according to the flesh.” He immediately encouraged the sorrowful soul and consoled it at once.

“Do not grieve,” as though he says, “that your lot is lower than that of others. This slavery is only in name, and the mastery is according to the flesh.

“Therefore the mastery is temporary and short-lived.”

Concluding his extensive explanation of the Apostle’s words on the duties of slaves, Saint John Chrysostom says: “Do you see how much the Apostle requires?

“He instills complete goodness. Many serve their masters with fear and trembling, and the master’s severity drives them to this. But show, he says, that you serve as a slave of Christ, not as a slave of man.

“Make your occupations a virtue for you, and not something produced by necessity. Show that you bear slavery voluntarily, and not as a man-pleaser.

“The slave of Christ is not a man-pleaser. If you serve willingly, with sound understanding, from the soul, for Christ’s sake, then you are not a slave.

“Do you see how the dishonor is taken away from your slavery?”

All this now concerns servants. Many Christian families cannot exist without them. Through honest service in such families, good servants can bring very great benefit.

Conversely, evil servants can bring enormous harm, almost impossible to avert, because servants are inevitably close to all members of a Christian family, especially to small children.

"For he says, knowing that whatever good each one does, this he will receive from the Lord (v. 8). He even teaches them to love wisdom. For though they are below children in dignity, they have more understanding than they do" (Chrysostom).

Slavery was widely practiced in the ancient world. Saint Paul was sent not to rebuild civil order, but to transform human morals. He takes civil conditions as they are, and he places in them a new spirit of life.

He does this in directions for a manner of action consonant with Christianity. The Apostle leaves the outward order as it has been established. He turns to the inward alone and gives it a new arrangement.

Then, if transformation of the outward is needed, it will proceed from within, as a result of the free development of spiritual life. Change the inward man, and the outward, if it is absurd, will fall away of itself.

Yet centuries had to pass before the spirit of paganism was abolished and broken at the root. Then the spirit of Christian freedom gave birth everywhere to the conviction that slavery is incompatible with Christian relations among people and with Christian life.

One must not think that slavery offered no hindrance or delay to the truth of the Gospel and the development of Christian life. No, it was a hindrance, like many other arrangements of Jewish and pagan life.

But Christianity was strong enough to overcome it. The change in the view of slavery can be seen in the Apostle's teaching that masters are to be considered masters only according to the flesh.

Slavery is limited to the external side of slaves. Masters have dominion only over their physical power. Their spirit is not bound. Their conscience is free and unconstrainedly devoted to the heavenly Master, Christ.

By this free service to Christ the Lord, the Apostle illumines even involuntary service to men. "Slaves," he says, "obey your masters according to the flesh. He immediately encouraged the grieving soul. He immediately comforted it."

"It is as though he said, Do not grieve that your lot is lower than others. This is slavery only in name and lordship according to the flesh. Therefore the lordship is temporal and not enduring. For everything fleshly passes quickly" (Chrysostom).

The Apostle characterizes the very obedience of slaves by three traits: with fear and trembling, in simplicity of heart, and as to Christ.

"With fear and trembling." "Do you see that he does not demand the same fear from the wife and from slaves? There he simply said, Let the wife fear her husband. Here he intensifies the speech and says, With fear and trembling" (Chrysostom).

Blessed Jerome explains that if it had only been said, "with fear," one could understand this as respect and reverence, as one may understand the word concerning the wife, "let her fear." But when "and trembling" is added, true servile fear must certainly be understood here.

Taking these words in the same sense, Saint Chrysostom asks: "What are you saying, blessed Paul? He, the slave, is a brother to his master. He has received the same blessings as his master and has the same nature."

"More importantly, he has become a brother not only of his master, but of the Son of God Himself. He enjoys equal blessings with Him. And do you say, with fear and trembling?"

"But for this very reason I say so, the Apostle answers. For if I command free persons to submit to one another for the fear of God, as was said above, Submit to one another in the fear of God, then how much more does all this apply to the slave?"

"If I command the wife to fear her husband, though she has equal honor with him, how much more does it apply to the slave? There is no dishonor in this. On the contrary, it is high nobility to know how to humble oneself."

"It is noble to behave modestly and yield to one's neighbor. For free persons have also served free persons with great fear and trembling."

Moreover, when the Apostle says, "Obey with fear and trembling," nothing prevents us from seeing here an indication of obligatory fear and trembling not before masters as though before terrors, but before obedience itself, lest one fail to fulfill it properly.

The Apostle teaches: when you receive commands from masters, do not receive them carelessly or indifferently. Do not fulfill them somehow, with distraction and inattention. Fulfill them with fear and trembling, lest you err in anything against the masters' desire.

Do this lest you prove to be faulty fulfillers of your duty. Fear and trembling are before the duty of obedience.

Blessed Jerome suggests another thought: that the Apostle gives this command with a view to moral education. Slaves could not at once become perfect in obedience to the will of God.

The Apostle presents the Lord to them in the person of their masters and commands: "Serve them with fear and trembling, as the Lord, and through this learn how one must serve the Lord Himself."

"In simplicity of your heart" means with thought undivided and with full conviction that this is how it must be. Therefore one must bear obedience without deliberations, with a free resolve always to be upright in this manner of life, having come to love even servile service itself.

"He commands slaves to serve their masters in a fitting manner and to be strangers to evil disposition. He expressed this by saying, in simplicity of heart" (Theodoret).

"He rightly said, in simplicity of heart, since it is possible to serve with fear and trembling, yet not with a good disposition, but as badly as possible. There are many who secretly do much evil to their masters."

"It is this bad conduct that the Apostle tries to remove by speaking thus" (Chrysostom).

"As to Christ." Slaves also, having cleaved to the Lord, conscientiously accepted the obligation to walk henceforth in every good work. Having this in his heart, a slave could fall into perplexity.

He might ask, What good work can come from me, when in my body and in all outward activity I do not belong to myself? The Apostle says to him: serve your master zealously, and this will be service to the Lord.

The whole circle of obligatory good work for you is limited by this. Christ the Lord Himself requires this of you. By placing obedience to masters in such close connection with obedience to the Lord, the Apostle raised the motive for submission to masters to the principles of faith.

He also gave slaves moral strength to bear the whole burden of their service. For after this they could not fail to be convinced that, in showing obedience to masters in everything, they were not showing it exclusively to them alone.

Through them they were showing obedience to the Lord Himself. And what is the true believer not ready to do for the Lord?